Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

Originally Posted by swampymarsh

Remember when IOA crushed WDW, no you don't, it didn't happen.

Sure that's the case, if you look at numbers alone. But the numbers are not reflective of quality anymore, but rather the recognition and loyalty of a brand. That's all WDW has become. They don't need to innovate. They don't need to be creative. They just have to slap their name on stuff and have people flock to it just because that name has so much loyalty and nostalgia attached to it.

Universal doesn't have that advantage, as they've only been around in the Florida theme park market since 1991. Islands of Adventure didn't crush WDW simply because it wasn't attached the the world-renowned brand.

If you look at the quality of the two theme park experiences, my opinion is that IoA actually crushes WDW, and I'm sure many feel the same since the addition of Potter. And the Universal experience is only going to get better over the next few years, and that's because they actually have to work at attracting guests, not just put their name on an announcement for newly-refurbished sidewalks and expect people to come in hoards.

As for the perfect Potter swatter, I'd love to see Star Wars. But if Disney really wants to get the jump on Universal (as far as quality, the most important aspect of the theme park business), they gotta get all their other offerings up to speed.

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

The world was just fine before the creation of Harry Potter and the world will be fine after the areas are completed.
I'm sure GM had that same attitude in the 70s and 80s over Toyota and Honda. I'm sure Atari had the same attitude over Nintendo......denial totally works

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

We know Marvel has a very complicated rights issue in U.S. theme parks.

If you ask me, the ONLY way Disney can really, truly have a "Potter Swatter" is to look deep within itself, ask some hard questions, and realize that what it needs is the next Pirates of the Caribbean, the next Haunted Mansion, the next Big Thunder or even the next EPCOT Center:

In short, Disney needs to do something that reminds the world that it is NOT reliant only on characters, that licensed theme park rides are not ALL it can do. It needs an attraction that will still have lines coming out the door and onto the "street" 50 years later, like those big, heavily themed, infinitely imaginative E-tickets do.

The solution to Disney's problem isn't in applying acquired characters into attractions ... its applying ITSELF to make attractions and even entire theme parks that blow people away and make them say, "Harry who?"

It used to be that only Disney could make attractions like this. Clearly, that is no longer the case. Disney needs to challenge itself in ways it hasn't had to challenge itself in a very long time. A "Snow White" kiddie coaster and a "Star Wars" land aren't gonna do it; the latter may boost the numbers short-term, but won't have the long-lasting staying power of something truly, definitively original.

I believe Disney COULD still do this, but they haven't been allowed to prove themselves lately. (Except at Hong Kong Disneyland, apparently ... look to Mystic Manor as an example!)

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

I get really bored with this opinion getting being discussed over and over again. I mean come on. You honestly think that Universal's ONE BIG SUCCESS in Florida is going to compete with Disney's over 50 years experience creating elaborate attractions and theme parks all over the world?!

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

Originally Posted by film975

I get really bored with this opinion getting being discussed over and over again. I mean come on. You honestly think that Universal's ONE BIG SUCCESS in Florida is going to compete with Disney's over 50 years experience creating elaborate attractions and theme parks all over the world?!

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

Originally Posted by TylerDurden

it already is.

Agreed. While there is no "crushing" happening, or about to happen. However, what is already occurring and is likely to continue without any moves on Disney's part, is a 'slow leak' of dollars from one entity to the other.

It's a fact that people are already spending less time and less money at Disney and spending time at other parks in Orlando. It's not huge, but it is happening. I believe that trend will continue.

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

Originally Posted by CreepyMonkey

Agreed. While there is no "crushing" happening, or about to happen. However, what is already occurring and is likely to continue without any moves on Disney's part, is a 'slow leak' of dollars from one entity to the other.

It's a fact that people are already spending less time and less money at Disney and spending time at other parks in Orlando. It's not huge, but it is happening. I believe that trend will continue.

Exactly. And that's just the financial aspect of it. You can even argue that the superior product is now at Universal, and their quality and rate of introduction of new innovative attractions is crushing Disney as well.

If Universal keeps it up, their brand will become just as powerful as Disney's and then Disney won't be able to sit back and just expect people to come for the sole reason that they're Disney.

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

Originally Posted by EC82

...If you ask me, the ONLY way Disney can really, truly have a "Potter Swatter" is to look deep within itself, ask some hard questions, and realize that what it needs is the next Pirates of the Caribbean, the next Haunted Mansion, the next Big Thunder or even the next EPCOT Center:

In short, Disney needs to do something that reminds the world that it is NOT reliant only on characters, that licensed theme park rides are not ALL it can do. It needs an attraction that will still have lines coming out the door and onto the "street" 50 years later, like those big, heavily themed, infinitely imaginative E-tickets do.

The solution to Disney's problem isn't in applying acquired characters into attractions ... its applying ITSELF to make attractions and even entire theme parks that blow people away and make them say, "Harry who?"

It used to be that only Disney could make attractions like this. Clearly, that is no longer the case. Disney needs to challenge itself in ways it hasn't had to challenge itself in a very long time. A "Snow White" kiddie coaster and a "Star Wars" land aren't gonna do it; the latter may boost the numbers short-term, but won't have the long-lasting staying power of something truly, definitively original.

I believe Disney COULD still do this, but they haven't been allowed to prove themselves lately. (Except at Hong Kong Disneyland, apparently ... look to Mystic Manor as an example!)

This!

"With the acquisition of Marvel and now of Lucasfilm,
Disney may have finally found the grail. You don't need
imagination or art. All you need is a brand."
- Neil Gabler

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

I have to disagree with EC82. The "Potter Swatter" is Star Wars. The reason why Harry Potter is doing so well and expanding is because Universal has confidence with the characters and stories. There is absolutely no reason for Disney to doubt the potential of Star Wars. It has lasted this long and it will continue to last another trilogy and then who knows if there will be another and another. Since Disney can't add Marvel to compete, we will never know in Orlando, but this is irrelevant. Star Wars is the blockbuster that everyone wants to see here.

To suggest that somehow Star Wars won't work and Disney has to create something from scratch doesn't make sense. Harry Potter resonates with many fans with the book series. You can't just make up something to compete with it. No amount of Disney creativity can conjure up such competition. That's one reason why Disney has failed with live action movies. Fortunately, it acquired what it could not create on its own.

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

Originally Posted by StevenW

I have to disagree with EC82. The "Potter Swatter" is Star Wars. The reason why Harry Potter is doing so well and expanding is because Universal has confidence with the characters and stories. There is absolutely no reason for Disney to doubt the potential of Star Wars. It has lasted this long and it will continue to last another trilogy and then who knows if there will be another and another. Since Disney can't add Marvel to compete, we will never know in Orlando, but this is irrelevant. Star Wars is the blockbuster that everyone wants to see here.

To suggest that somehow Star Wars won't work and Disney has to create something from scratch doesn't make sense. Harry Potter resonates with many fans with the book series. You can't just make up something to compete with it. No amount of Disney creativity can conjure up such competition. That's one reason why Disney has failed with live action movies. Fortunately, it acquired what it could not create on its own.

I agree with this. Originality doesn't sell as much as IP's do. That is fact. Look at this year's Halloween Horror Nights...one of the busiest of all time and almost entirely themed around IP's. Look at DCA's makeover--what was advertised? The original and new BVS, or Carsland? Obviously, the one with the well-known and already-established brand.

People who flocked to Harry Potter weren't just theme park fans--they were Harry Potter fans. That's why it's been so successful. The thing is, if Disney puts in something original, the only crowds it's going to draw are Disney fans who want to see something new. Granted, that is a lot of people, but the Star Wars geeks who have no interest in theme parks (there are quite a few of those too) would not be at the opening gate.

Yeah, we all love original rides, but after seeing what an established IP-based attraction can do for theme parks, I doubt we'll be seeing anymore. It's proven that franchises sell. While it hasn't necessarily been proven that originality doesn't sell, why would Disney take that risk? With franchise-based attractions you can not only nab the diehard theme park fans, but everyone else in the universe who resonates with the property and has a strong-enough sentiment toward it that they pay money to go see it in person. That's a win win.

Re: What land/ride would you like to be WDW's potter swatter

I'd like an old fashioned carnival dunking booth with RISC: Jay Rasulo, Bob Iger, Thomas Staggs, Meg Crofton, and for Limited Time Magic in the month of July, Paul Pressler.

Contrast the first thirty years at WDW with its last 12 and you'll see a drop in ambition. WDW's attendance has been flat since the WWoHP opened, while Universal's attendance has been dramatically increasing. The best "Potter Swatter" would be for Steve Burke (whose contract will soon be up) to come back to Disney from Universal to replace Bob Iger in 2015 instead of Thomas Staggs. Burke is an ambitious builder and has studio experience. Staggs, the SAFE bet, is too timid and lacks the Walt Disney/Steve Jobs vision to create what people want.